Dumping at Sea

After World War II, the United States and other European nations dumped 300,000 tonnes of chemical and conventional munitions into the ocean. These munitions are a threat to users of the sea as corrosion over time may allow chemical agents to leak out or to cause explosions.

KIMO works towards the implementation of legislation to prohibit future munitions dumps into Europe’s seas. KIMO, in collaboration with the Irish government, highlighted the need for the implementation of a European Independent Monitoring Programme. This legislation now stipulates that encounters with dumped munitions are to be recorded in detail so that management options can be considered.